Badenhorst “The Curator”, 11 South Africa

Could you substitute the word Tuesday with Wednesday? Thursday? Sunday? of course. Tuesday is just an example. The intention here is to highlight a wine that is perfect for ANY old day of the week, even a day when you are doing NOTHING exemplary, noteworthy, exciting, or interesting. But nonetheless, you need wine for these occasions. Watching The Bachelor? yup. Cleaning the house? yes. Writing thank you notes? (do people still do that?) yep. Painting your nails? oh, yes- this is one of my favorite activities to accompany with wine! This wine fits the bill on all of the above.

Recognize the name Badenhorst? If you do, you have a good memory; but this wine is the little brother to the Badenhorst “Secateurs” Shriaz blend that we crushed just about two years ago (post on the 2010 vintage here). That wine still kicks ass. As do their higher-end wines. But this little guy is a great addition! A blend of 82% Shiraz, 16% Mourvedre and a teeny 1% each of Cinsault and Viognier, it strikes a nice balance as a medium-bodied red that pulls off hefty, yet not overwhelming, fruit content.

A briary nose of blackberries and and crushed violets will fly out at you. Some lighter tones of red cherry, raspberry and plum jam will follow, along with some savory herbs n’ spices; black pepper, roasted thyme, sage, and some flirty vanilla. It’s a tangy sort of palate, not too much alcohol or heat, and a smooth finish that doesn’t fall off. The juicy quality of this wine would make it a great friend for a burger- maybe topped with a smoked cheese, a smoky BBQ sauce, charred onions… or all of the above! Go for it! After all, what else do you have to do on a Tuesday night? Once late Fall and Winter come around, this wine would also be great with a rich stew or a braised beef with red wine n’ herbs.

What’s the clincher with this wine? It’s freakin’ $11! Huzzah!! And speaking of Fall… with wedding and Holiday party season about to rear it’s ugly head, keep this one in mind for when you have a large group to entertain. It’s certainly a crowd-pleaser. This wine is also available this week as part of our $90 Mystery Case, which would be a cost-effective way for you to try it, and eleven other delicious bottles too!

For anyone interested in specs, this wine was given 88 points by Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar. So that’s cool, too. I give it a hat tip. And I think you should come down and give it a try!